1. 1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to mobile devices, and more particularly but not exclusively to computing infrastructures for supporting operation of mobile devices.
2. 2. Description of the Background Art
Mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, have become commonplace and are now employed as replacements for portable (e.g., laptops and netbooks) and desktop (e.g., personal computers) computing devices. For example, smartphones are now employed not just to make voice calls over traditional mobile telephone networks, but also to browse the Internet, watch streamed video, and play online games. Some employers even allow employees to bring their own devices, the so-called BYOD policy.
One problem with mobile devices is that they run mobile operating systems, such as the ANDROID and the iOS operating systems. Unlike traditional desktop operating systems, such as the WINDOWS operating system, mobile operating systems are not as powerful and extensible, allowing them to run securely on a mobile device that has limited computing resources. Accordingly, mobile devices running mobile operating systems cannot readily take advantage of some computing infrastructures available to computers that run desktop operating systems.